The present invention relates to a steel mill system including a metallurgical furnace and at least one further processing system for the steel melt, with at least one steel ladle being disposed below the metallurgical furnace. This ladle can be loaded with the steel melt from the metallurgical furnace and moved between the metallurgical furnace and the further processing system on rails adapted to a carrying mechanism, with the ladle being emptied into the further processing system. The further processing system may include, for example, a continuous casting system. The term steel "ladle" identifies an appropriate vessel which has an outlet at the bottom, for example equipped with a slide arrangement, or which can be emptied by tilting. A converter or a thermal device for heating or maintaining the temperature of the melt in the steel ladle may be connected between the furnace and the casting system.
In the prior art steel mill system on which the present invention is based, the steel ladle can be moved between the metallurgical furnace and the further processing system by being placed onto a special steel ladle carriage which is configured as a self-propelled vehicle or which is drawn (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,179; German Offenlegungsschrift No. [unexamined, published patent application] 3,245,382). A traveling crane having a movable bridge serves to place the steel ladle onto the ladle carriage and to advance the steel ladle to the further processing system. This is expensive with respect to the machinery required and results in annoying dead times in operation, particularly since introduction of the steel ladle into the steel ladle carriage and removal of the steel ladle from the steel ladle carriage is complicated. The procedure is similar for the transport of refinery vessels (German Auslegeschrift No. [examined, published patent application] 1,508,295).
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,312 discloses a steel ladle carriage in which the ladle is suspended in such a manner that its lowermost end projects from the carriage. For that reason, rails on which the carriage travels are higher than the mill floor--i.e., are arranged on stands. Moreover, as in the other prior art steel ladle carriages, the ladle suspended from its two carrying pins is placed into the carriage and lifted out of it by means of a crane.